Meet the WiRE Program Team

Prof. Retha Wiesner (Founder and Program Director)

Hi there! A bit about me. My path has been diverse and driven. From playing tennis globally to setting up a tennis academy and organisational psychology practice, every step has built towards my current role. I'm the founder and program director of the WiRE Program, where I lead, mentor, and drive all the program components. My career has always revolved around three pillars: Entrepreneurial and Organisational Behaviour, Research, and Teaching. As a Professor at the University of Southern Queensland, I focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, and organisational behaviour.

What drives me? Advancing women through entrepreneurial behaviour and innovation. I've led national and international entrepreneurship projects, with initiatives worth over $12m in the past 10 years. I've interviewed countless women entrepreneurs, learning about their successes, challenges, and the passion that drives their businesses. I see myself as an "initiator", always pushing for innovation and growth. I've published over 90 research articles and co-authored 13 books on management. Currently, I'm currently mentoring eight doctoral students in small business and entrepreneurship. I love working with inquiring minds and individuals who have a passion for self-growth. In this program, I'm not just here to facilitate and guide but to learn from each participant. I believe in mutual growth, and I'm excited about the journey ahead with all of you.

Associate Professor Janice Redmond

Janice is currently involved in collaborative projects locally, nationally and internationally on issues that matter to entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprise. Wherever possible Janice seeks to turn research outcomes into viable education and training that support individual and business growth.

Janice also has a significant background in the government and education sectors including working in the area of Human Resource Management with responsibility for recruitment and retention and case management. 

Dr. Jalleh Sharafizad

Dr Sharafizad is an entrepreneurship researcher and a passionate advocate for small businesses, with a strong commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs. She has dedicated many years to volunteering with various business associations, where she helps design and deliver training programs, workshops, and networking events tailored to start-ups and early-stage ventures. Her work includes offering strategic advice, practical guidance, and mentorship to entrepreneurs as they navigate the challenges of launching new ventures, as well as assisting established business owners seeking to strengthen or scale their operations.

From 2018 to 2022, Dr Sharafizad served on the Board of the Wanneroo Business Association (WA), contributing to initiatives that promoted local business growth and deepened community engagement. She continues to collaborate actively with business associations, incubators, and entrepreneurial support organisations across Western Australia, throughout Australia, and internationally. Through these efforts, she remains committed to building capability, enhancing business resilience, and fostering a dynamic, inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem at local, national, and global levels.

Dr Violetta Wilk

Dr Violetta Wilk is a Senior Lecturer in Digital and Social Media Marketing at Edith Cowan University with more than 25 years of marketing and branding experience across industry and academia. An award-winning educator, she has received several honours, including a 2025 Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Teaching Scholarship and ECU Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Awards in 2024 and 2021. She successfully coached her postgraduate Applied Digital Marketing students to represent Australia to win the 2024 Global DigiEduHack Marketing Mavericks Simbound Hackathon.

Dr Wilk maintains strong industry engagement as a Fellow, Mentor, and Certified Practising Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI), and she represents academia on the AMI National Professional Advancement Committee. She is also an Executive Education Course Developer and Facilitator, having created and taught multiple digital marketing and social media short courses for industry audiences in Australia and overseas. To date, she has delivered more than 50 executive workshops and presentations on personal branding, social media, and digital marketing to organisations including the AMI, the Small Business Development Corporation WA, Edith Cowan University, and ANZCHAM Philippines.

Dr. Tarryn Kille

Tarryn is the Aviation Program Director in the School of Business at USQ.  Her research and practice have been grounded in the development of rural, remote and regional communities.  Tarryn’s PhD study has allowed her to appreciate the emerging transport and logistics opportunities for building sustainable regional business.  Her research in this field has been integrated and is currently being practised by businesses in regional Tasmania.  Tarryn has developed a keen passion for the educational development of young people.  Her research in this area has focussed on blended and online tertiary education in an effort to create interactive learning, and skill development opportunities for students working in rural, remote and regional locations.  Tarryn has also extended her education research into the field of capacity building by investigating the training motivations and behaviours of young people seeking to enhance their employability skills after suffering significant career challenges or facing industries experiencing job shortages.  Her research has been translated into practical actions that intend to advise educational institutions, policymakers and young people through targeted capacity, skill and resilience-building strategies.  

Dr Aastha Malhotra

Aastha is a Senior Lecturer and the Human Services Program Director at the University of Southern Queensland. She uses her multi-disciplinary background to inform her research foci which include entrepreneurship development, gender sensitive capacity-building, and small business strategy. An experienced qualitative researcher, Aastha has expertise in interviewing, content and narrative analysis, developing case studies and impact evaluation. She draws on empowerment perspectives and is driven by the potential of entrepreneurship for community and economic development. Her relevant past projects include a number of evidence-based capacity building projects, including international fellowship programs for women entrepreneurs from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka funded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and a pilot aimed at examining and enhancing the digital skills of migrant and refugee women entrepreneurs in Regional Australia funded by Advance Queensland. Aastha holds a PhD in Management and her academic portfolio also includes teaching in areas of management, strategy, entrepreneurship, and leadership as well as publications in and reviewing for peer-reviewed platforms. From an industry perspective, she brings with her ten years of consulting experience with organisations in India, Canada and Australia. Passionate about practical outcomes and application of research findings, Aastha continues to be actively involved in the industry through management seminars, consulting projects, mentoring initiatives (including for the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training) and serving on panels and advisory committees.

Annie Wiesner

Annie contributes to the research and administration aspects of the program through gathering data and source materials, data analysis, preparation and development of case studies and reports to ensure the efficient execution of these program activities.